Increasing access to school-based mental health services for youth subsequent to the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

There is a lack of mental health services in schools across the United States. According to recent data, 52% of public schools struggled to effectively provide mental health services to students. We explored the surge in demand for mental health services in schools for students, an ongoing need that continues beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. It is clear that schools struggle with their effort to provide mental health services for students, primarily stemming from insufficient funding, shortage of licensed mental health professionals, and a lack of mental health training among school staff. School administrators must remain dedicated to identifying strategies to increase access to mental health services in schools for students.

Continuous surge in mental health issues among youth

In the United States, mental illness in children and youth is now a significant public health concern.¹ As recent studies suggest, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the growing crisis of mental illness among youth.² There are persistent trends that show adolescents experienced higher rates of mental health diagnoses and suicidal behaviors following the pandamic.³ The main mental health issues reported among children and youth are depression, anxiety disorders, and behavioral disorders.⁴ Ten-year trend data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Survey data indicates an increase in the percentage of high school students who experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness (30% in 2013 to 40% in 2023), as well as a notable rise in the percentage of high students who seriously considered attempting suicide, increasing from 17% in 2013 to 20% in 2023.⁵

The present state of school-based mental health services

Many schools are already challenged by the academic performance of their students, are still burdened by major budgetary constraints, and lack the necessary school-based mental health professionals and services that they need to respond to the new mental health crisis among children and youth.⁶

According to the 2024 School Pulse Panel Survey data from the National Center for Education Statistics, 58% of public schools reported an increase in the percentage of students seeking school-based mental health services.⁷ The School Pulse Panel Survey data also found that only 48% of schools reported being effective in providing school-based mental health services to all students in need, which suggests that 52% of schools struggled to address this growing concern.⁷ Challenges in providing mental health services to students in some schools were due to insufficient financial resources, a shortage of licensed mental health professionals, and a lack of school staff to support students dealing with mental health issues.^7,8 Without adequate mental health support, students may experience worsening symptoms of anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorders.⁹

Consideration of strategies to increase access to school-based mental health services

Schools are uniquely positioned to address the growing mental health needs of youth by connecting them with mental health services.¹⁰ It is essential for school administrators to make a sustained commitment in identifying strategies to increase access to school-based mental health services for students. An example of this would be to provide professional development training for school staff, focusing on enhancing their ability to recognize mental health issues among students and understanding when to notify the mental health staff.¹¹ In Wisconsin, as part of its initiative to train school staff in mental health, the Department of Public Instruction offered a limited number of Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training sessions to schools at no charge.¹² The YMHFA training is designed to teach school staff how to help students (ages 12 to 18) who are experiencing a mental health problem.¹³ The YMHFA training has been shown to improve mental health literacy among individuals (ie, school staff) who are not trained as mental health professionals.¹⁴

Another strategy would be to establish partnerships with universities that require internship experiences for their students entering the mental health field.¹⁵ Bates et al.¹⁶ noted that the Dublin City Schools district formed a partnership with The Ohio State University's Master of Social Work degree program to create internship placements for social work students, aiming to increase the mental health workforce in schools. This strategy provides an innovative way of addressing the shortage of mental health professionals in schools and facilitating access to mental health services for students who are in need.

Also, forming a mental health crisis team can serve as an essential strategy. In most cases, a crisis team consists of mental health professionals, caregivers, and community partners who understand robust approaches to mental health crisis management.¹⁷

Takeaways

Mental health issues among youth continue to be a growing concern in the United States. Many schools face difficulties in providing mental health services to their students; however, school administrators must remain persistent on identifying strategies to effectively overcome the challenges of increasing access to mental health services for students in their schools.

Supplementary material

Supplementary material is available at Health Affairs Scholar online.